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Content ArticleThis blog by Dr Anna Bayes from Altera Digital Health looks at the benefits of closed-loop medication administration (CLMA) in preventing avoidable medication errors. CLMA provides an extra validation at the point of drug administration by using barcode technology to positively identify the patient and validate their prescribed medications against the physical medication product (for example, pills, infusions or creams) at the point of care. Anna also considers CLMA's role in advancing digital maturity.
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Content ArticleThe Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS’s approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety. In this video, Lucy Winstanley, Head of Patient Safety and Quality at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, reflects on her trust's experience of being a PSIRF early adopter. Lucy talks about the benefits of PSIRF and how to make it work in practice. She highlights the need for effective collaboration between teams and the importance of engaging with patients, families and staff in new ways.
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News Article
London surgeons complete record week’s worth of operations in one day
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Surgeons in a London hospital have performed a week’s worth of operations in a single day, pioneering a technique that could be used to help reduce the NHS backlog. The team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital performed eight robot assisted radical prostatectomy operations in under ten hours, the highest number performed in a single day in the UK in one hospital. High Intensity Theatre lists (HIT) focus on one procedure at a time and seek to minimise the turnaround time between operations. Using two theatres, the surgeon can go between cases without having to wait for a patient to come in. This helps to cut the significant amount of time it takes for medics to anaesthetise a patient, set up equipment in the theatre and help them to recover – a process which sometimes takes longer than the operation itself. The team at Guy’s assembled a large team for the HIT list, which took place on 8 October. Each theatre had a team of around 1.5 times its usual size and staff were given very specific roles. By the time the list had reached the third patient, the turnaround time between operations had dropped as low as 32 seconds. Behind the scenes, staff in the control room used Proximie software to monitor activity in the theatre in real time. Dr Ben Challacombe, a consultant urological surgeon who performed the operations with his surgical consultant colleagues Paul Cathcart, Christian Brown, and Prokar Dasgupta, told the Standard that the success of the HIT list had given staff a “huge” morale boost. “Everyone pulled together to do the job, it really helped to energise the team. Morale has been hit by Covid and other issues, but people feel galvanised by doing something different.” Read full story Source: Evening Standard, 29 October 2022 -
News ArticleFive promising technologies that could help improve symptoms and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease have been conditionally recommended by NICE. The wearable devices have sensors that monitor the symptoms of people with Parkinson’s disease while they go about their day-to-day life. This information may more accurately record a person’s symptoms than a clinical assessment during in-person appointments and help inform medication decisions and follow up treatment such as physiotherapy. Parkinson's disease is an incurable condition that affects the brain, resulting in progressive loss of coordination and movement problems. It is caused by loss of the cells in the brain that are responsible for producing dopamine, which helps to control and coordinate body movements. Mark Chapman, interim director of Medical Technology at NICE, said: “Providing wearable technology to people with Parkinson’s disease could have a transformative effect on their care and lead to changes in their treatment taking place more quickly. “However there is uncertainty in the evidence at present on these five promising technologies which is why the committee has conditionally recommended their use by the NHS while data is collected to eliminate these evidence gaps. “We are committed to balancing the best care with value for money, delivering both for individuals and society as a whole, while at the same time driving innovation into the hands of health and care professionals to enable best practice.” Read full story Source: NICE, 27 October 2022
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News ArticleMore than 900 invitees converged on Manchester Central last night to find out which projects would emerge winners in the latest edition of our Patient Safety Awards. The awards recognise and reward the hard-working teams and individuals who, in these times of austerity, pay restraints and workforce shortages, are striving to deliver improved patient care. HSJ correspondent Annabelle Collins gave a welcome speech before comedian and writer Justin Moorhouse hosted the event, which was held at the end of the first day of the Patient Safety Congress. Ms Collins said: “Not only are you treating more and more patients, in difficult circumstances, you’re treating them safely and innovating during a time when the health service is being told by the government to be more efficient. To do more, with less. I think this makes your work and achievements even more special. This year, the awards were presented under four key areas: Clinical and specialist excellence; Enacting organisation-wide change; Proactive prevention and harm avoidance; and Service/system innovation. Read about the winners Source: HSJ, 25 October 2022
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News Article
New research collaboration to improve patient safety
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is to host to a new collaboration researching patient safety, after being awarded £3 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The NIHR Central London Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) aims to improve safety in Surgical, Perioperative, Acute and Critical care (SPACE) services, which treat more than 25 million NHS patients annually. Perioperative care is care given at and around the time of surgery. Amongst the highest risk clinical settings are SPACE services because of the seriousness of the patients’ conditions and the complex nature of clinical decision making. Further risks arise at the transitions of care between SPACE services and other parts of the health and social care system. The research team led by UCLH and UCL will develop and evaluate new treatments and care pathways for SPACE services. This will include new interventions such as surgical and anaesthetic techniques, and new approaches to predicting and detecting patient deterioration. They will also help the NHS become safer for patients through the development of innovative approaches to organisational learning, and to how clinical evidence is generated. The PSRC’s learning academy will support the next generation of patient safety researchers through a comprehensive programme of funding, mentoring and peer support. The team includes frontline clinicians, policy makers and world-leading academics across a range of scientific disciplines including social and data science, mechanical and software engineering. Patients and the public representing diverse backgrounds are key partners in the collaboration. Professor Moonesinghe said: “We have a great multidisciplinary, multiprofessional team ready to deliver a truly innovative programme to improve patient safety in these high-risk clinical areas. As a uniquely rich research environment, UCLH and UCL are well placed to lead this work, and we are looking forward to collaborating with clinicians and patients across the country to ensure impact for the whole population which the NHS serves.” -
News Article
Over £800 million to boost innovation, growth and improve patient safety
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patients up and down the country are set to benefit from innovative new treatments and improved delivery of health and care services following significant funding to support ground-breaking experimental medicine research and advance the UK’s response to patient safety challenges. £790 million to support breakthroughs in new treatments, diagnostics and medical technology to improve patients’ lives and bolster the economy. £25 million for research on patient safety to improve the safe delivery of health and care and better address health challenges, such as cancer treatment and reducing medication error. Exceeds funding commitments to boost research across all areas of the country, levelling up innovation and addressing health inequalities. The government has announced that over £800 million of funding, to be allocated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will go to support specialist research facilities bringing together scientists to create an environment where experimental medicine and patient safety research can thrive. This boost to the country’s research infrastructure will see further investment in scientific expertise which supports access to innovative technology and novel research projects. As well as this, it will improve regional economic growth through employment opportunities, giving private sector organisations confidence to continue to invest in research across the country. Read full story Source: GOV.UK, 14 October 2022 -
News ArticleVery sick babies and children will be diagnosed and start treatment more quickly thanks to a “revolutionary” new genetic testing service being launched by the NHS. Doctors will gain vital insights within as little as two days into what illnesses more than 1,000 newborns and infants a year in England have from the rapid analysis of blood tests. Until now, when doctors suspected a genetic disorder, such tests have sometimes taken weeks as they had to be done in a sequential order to rule out other possible diagnoses, delaying treatment. NHS England bosses say the service could save the lives of thousands of seriously ill children over time and will usher in “a new era of genomic medicine”. The clinical scientists, genetic technologists and bioinformaticians will carry out much faster processing of DNA samples, including saliva and other tissue samples as well as blood. They will share their findings with medical teams and patients’ families. “This global first is an incredible moment for the NHS and will be revolutionary in helping us to rapidly diagnose the illnesses of thousands of seriously ill children and babies, saving countless lives in the years to come,” said Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 October 2022 Further hub reading Genetic profiling and precision medicine – the future of cancer treatment
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News Article
Radar that checks people living with Parkinson’s in their own home
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A miniature radar system that tracks a person as they walk around their home could be used to measure the effectiveness of treatments for Parkinson’s. The disease, which affects about 145,000 people in the UK, is linked to the death of nerve cells in the brain that help to control movement. With no quick diagnostic test available at present, doctors must usually review a patient’s medical history and look for symptoms that often develop only very slowly, such as muscle stiffness and tremors. The device, about the size of a wi-fi router, is designed to give a more precise picture of how the severity of symptoms changes, both over the long term and hourly. It sits in one room and emits radio signals that bounce off the body of a patient. Using artificial intelligence it is able to recognise and lock on to one individual. Over several months it will notice if their walking speed is becoming slower in a way that indicates that the disease is becoming worse. During a single day it can also recognise periods where a person’s strides quicken, which means that it could be used to monitor the effectiveness of new and existing drugs, even where the effects last a relatively short time. “This really gives us the possibility to objectively measure how your mobility responds to your medication. Previously, this was nearly impossible to do because this medication effect could only be measured by having the patient keep a journal,” said Yingcheng Liu, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who is part of the team behind the device. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 22 September 2022- Posted
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News Article
AI eye checks can predict heart disease risk in less than minute, finds study
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An artificial intelligence (AI) tool that scans eyes can accurately predict a person’s risk of heart disease in less than a minute, researchers say. The breakthrough could enable ophthalmologists and other health workers to carry out cardiovascular screening on the high street using a camera – without the need for blood tests or blood pressure checks – according to the world’s largest study of its kind. Researchers found AI-enabled imaging of the retina’s veins and arteries can specify the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular death and stroke. They say the results could open the door to a highly effective, non-invasive test becoming available for people at medium to high risk of heart disease that does not have to be done in a clinic. “This AI tool could let someone know in 60 seconds or less their level of risk,” the lead author of the study, Prof Alicja Rudnicka, told the Guardian. If someone learned their risk was higher than expected, they could be prescribed statins or offered another intervention, she said. Speaking from a health conference in Copenhagen, Rudnicka, a professor of statistical epidemiology at St George’s, University of London, added: “It could end up improving cardiovascular health and save lives.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 4 October 2022 -
Content ArticleThe West of England AHSN, in partnership with NIHR ARC West and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), has created the Evidence Works online toolkit. Its aim is to provide step-by-step support for anyone working in health and care to find, appraise and apply evidence for service change or to develop new products, projects or pilots. The toolkit offers a useful starting point, to help you find and access the most relevant evidence and signpost you to more information and specialist help, should you need it.
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Content ArticleIn January 2023, Newmarket Strategy and BD, a global medical technology company, were part of a delegation of UK health leaders travelling to the global healthcare conference Arab Health in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about Connected Medication Management (CMM) and the role it can play in solving some of the most pressing challenges faced by health systems today. Connected Medication Management is a technology-driven approach to medication management that uses digital and automation technologies. It aims to optimise medication use by reducing medication errors to improve patient safety, whilst delivering productivity gains for the NHS. It also frees up nursing and other clinical staff to provide more patient care.
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Content ArticleHow one Devon ICS has worked with local trusts to cut deliver extra capacity at a former Nightingale hospital, now converted into an elective centre.
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Content ArticleSmart Pods is the first-ever Royal College of Art (RCA)/ Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) multi-disciplinary healthcare project. It has grown out of the College’s chartered commitment to engage with ‘social developments’ through design.
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Content ArticleHighland Marketing interviews Clive Flashman, independent consultant, chief digital officer at Patient Safety Learning and director of strategy at ORCHA. Clive has a longstanding interest in using health tech to engage patients and improve safety. He argues that to make real progress, the NHS needs to start taking a systems view, rather than a tactical view, of its adoption.
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Content ArticleThis article looks at how Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, one of the largest health systems in the region, has used artificial intelligence to turn around statistics on patient safety. In 2016, the Accelerate Redesign Collaborate Innovation Center at Sheba launched a an AI solution called Aidoc to read CT scans. It is being used to more accurately predict stroke and pulmonary embolism, allowing healthcare professionals to offer preventative treatment more quickly that when CT scans are read purely manually.
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News Article
Government deal for clear face masks to help people with hearing loss
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Around 250,000 clear face masks are set to be delivered to frontline NHS and social care workers to allow for better care to be provided to those who use lip-reading and facial expressions to communicate, whilst still ensuring staff and patients remain safe during coronavirus. The clear face masks will allow for improved communication with people with certain conditions like hearing loss, autism and dementia. Designed with an anti-fogging barrier to ensure the face and mouth are always visible, the see-through masks will help doctors, nurses and carers get important messages across to all patients clearly. An estimated 12 million people in the UK are thought to have hearing loss, while those who rely on facial expressions to support communication – such as people with learning disabilities, autism or dementia, or foreign language speakers and their interpreters – will also see benefit from the government deal. Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “Everyone using our remarkable health and care system deserves the best care possible and communication is a vital part of that." “This pandemic has posed numerous challenges to the sector, so we are always on the hunt for simple solutions to support those giving and receiving care." Read full story Source: National Health Executive, 7 September 2020 -
News Article
Gene-edited babies: Current techniques not safe, say experts
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Current scientific techniques are not yet safe or effective enough to be used to create gene-edited babies, an international committee says. The technology could one day prevent parents from passing on heritable diseases to children, but the committee says much more research is needed. The world's first gene-edited babies were born in China in November 2018. The scientist responsible was jailed, amid a fierce global backlash. The committee was set up in response. Gene-editing could potentially help avoid a range of heritable diseases by deleting or changing troublesome coding in embryos. But experts worry that modifying the genome of an embryo could cause unintended harm, not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes. It made several recommendations, including: Extensive conversations in society before a country decides whether to permit this type of gene-editing. If proven to be safe and effective, initial uses should be limited to serious, life-shortening diseases which result from the mutation of one or both copies of a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis. Rigorous checks at every stage of the process to make sure there are no unintended consequences, including biopsies and regular screening of embryos. Pregnancies and any resulting children to be followed up closely. An international scientific advisory panel should be established to constantly assess evidence on safety and effectiveness, allowing people to report concerns about any research that deviates from guidelines. Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 September 2020 -
News ArticleA sponge-on-a-string pill test could transform the way oesophageal cancer is diagnosed, researchers say. The method can identify 10 times more people with Barrett’s oesophagus than the usual GP route, scientists say. The test, which can be carried out by a nurse in the GP surgery, is also better at picking up abnormal cells and potentially early-stage cancer. Barrett’s oesophagus is a condition that can lead to oesophageal cancer, cancer of the food pipe, in a small number of people. Normally it is diagnosed in hospital by endoscopy, which involves passing a camera down into the stomach, following a GP referral for long-standing heartburn symptoms. The cytosponge test, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, is a small pill with a thread attached that the patient swallows. It expands into a small sponge when it reaches the stomach, and is then quickly pulled back up the throat by a nurse, collecting cells from the oesophagus for analysis. The pill is a quick, simple and well tolerated test that can be performed in a GP surgery and helps tell doctors who needs an endoscopy. In turn, this could prevent many people from having potentially unnecessary endoscopies. Scientists say that as well as better detection, the test means cancer patients can benefit from kinder treatment options if their cancer is caught early enough. Read full story Source: The Independent, 1 August 2020
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News Article
Global accolades for patient safety research
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Research into patient safety across Europe, led by Northumbria University, has received international acclaim. The SLIPPS (Shared Learning from Practice to improve Patient Safety) project is a major EU-funded project led by Professor Alison Steven, a Reader in Health Professions Education at Northumbria University. It seeks to improve European patient safety and education across a range of clinical settings. Errors, mishaps and misunderstandings are common and around one in 10 patients suffer avoidable harm. These incidents impact upon patients, their families, health care organisations, staff and students. SLIPPS is responding to the challenge to improve patient safety education. Professor Steven has a longstanding interest in the use of education to raise standards of care and ensure patient safety. Considering the rapid spread of COVID-19, she says improving patient safety and standards of care across Europe and beyond, has never been more important. “Patient safety is paramount in these extreme circumstances,” said Professor Steven. “The SLIPPS project is unique in that it taps into students’ experiences. These students on practice placements have the potential to offer fresh perspectives on clinical practices, and with so many final-year students treating patients on the front line during this global pandemic, their current views on patient safety are more important than ever.” The project utilises real-life experiences and students’ reflections on them as the basis for a range of educational resources which feed into an open access virtual learning centre for international, multi-professional learning about patient safety. Read full story Source: Northumbria University Newcastle, 20 July 2020 -
News ArticleRLDatix, the leading provider of intelligent patient safety solutions, have announced a new framework—Applied Safety Intelligence™—that will tighten the relationship between patient safety and risk management by moving the industry from a retrospective review of adverse events toward a future of proactive prevention. This profound shift will usher in a new era of future-forward patient safety. Traditionally, patient safety and risk management efforts have been driven by a retrospective capture of harmful events, often resulting in long wait times to reach resolutions for patients and families, hefty litigation and punitive damages to health systems, and a profound negative impact on the care teams involved. With Applied Safety Intelligence, healthcare organisations will be able to reduce preventable harm and, in many cases, avoid it altogether. "As the global leader in patient safety, RLDatix is unmatched in its ability to drive innovation that leads to safer care," said Jeff Surges, CEO of RLDatix. "With Applied Safety Intelligence, we are putting patient and caregiver safety at the center of value-based care as we continue challenging traditional conventions around inevitable harm, provider burnout and enterprise risk. Together with our customers, we are catalysing a future where the human and financial impact of unsafe care is significantly reduced. " Read full story Source: CISION PR Newswire, 15 July 2020
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News ArticleA new report by Research Australia details more than 200 ongoing COVID-19 studies that extend far beyond the search for a vaccine. Almost every COVID-19 research project being led by Australians has been in the new report, including studies of breastfeeding guidelines for parents with COVID-19, filter systems to remove the virus via air-conditioning systems, monitoring of sewage to detect the prevalence of COVID-19, and repurposing technology normally used to identify explosives to see if it can detect the presence of COVID-19. The report was compiled by Research Australia, the national peak body for health and medical research. It’s chief executive, Nadia Levin, said the report was not a complete catalogue of COVID-19 related research in Australia, but provided a useful insight into the scale of the response from the health and innovation sectors. “All of this Australian research kept popping up and we were blown away by the scale and scope of it, so we asked all of our members to share what they are working on,” Levin told the Guardian Australia. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 27 June 2020
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News Article
Swann reveals future of Northern Ireland health service post COVID-19
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Northern Ireland faces a massive challenge rebuilding health and social care in the wake of the first COVID-19 wave, Health Minister Robin Swann has said. Speaking at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Swann said that the rebuilding process can secure better ways of delivering services but will require innovation, sustained investment and society-wide support. He said that services will not be able to resume as before and that rebuilding will be significantly constrained by the continuing threat from COVID-19 and the need to protect the public and staff from the virus. “Our health and social care system was in very serious difficulties long before Coronavirus reached these shores. The virus has taken the situation to a whole new level. The Health and Social Care system has had its own lockdown – services were scaled back substantially to keep people safe and to focus resources on caring for those with COVID-19." The Health Minister said that despite the pressures, there are opportunities to make improvements. “I have seen so many examples of excellence, innovation and commitment as our health and social care staff rose to the challenges created by COVID-19. Decisions were taken at pace, services were re-configured, mountains were moved. Staff have worked across traditional boundaries time and time again. I cannot thank them enough. We must build on that spirit in the months and years ahead. Innovations like telephone triage and video consultations will be embedded in primary and secondary care.” Mr Swann added that the health system can't go back to the way it was and that it must be improved. Read full story Source: Belfast Telegraph, 9 June 2020 -
News ArticleMichael Seres, an entrepreneur, patient advocate, husband and father of three, died on Saturday in Orange County, California, of a sepsis infection. He was 51. Seres was widely considered to be one of the first and most prominent “e-patients,” a term which has become popular to denote patients who are informed and engaged in their health, often sharing their experiences online. He is also one of a small number of patient inventors who helped design and build a medical device – a digitally enhanced ostomy bag – that got FDA clearance in 2014. His invention eased the suffering of millions of people with bowel injuries, chronic gut illnesses and cancer. Source: CNBC, 2 June 2020 Read more about Michael and his innovative patient work in our hub blog
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News Article
NASA and other innovators work to redesign ventilators for COVID-19 patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NASA scientists as well as other innovators are busy developing alternatives to the traditional ventilator being used worldwide to treat severe cases of COVID-19. The movement is in response to growing evidence that in some cases ventilators can cause more harm than good in some patients with low oxygen levels. Statistics tell the story: 80% of patients with the coronavirus die on such machines. Its VITAL machine is tailored for COVID-19 patients and is focused on providing air delicately to stiff lungs — a hallmark symptom of the virus. Eight U.S. manufacturers have been selected to make the ventilator that was made in 37 days by engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Read full story Source: CNBC, 30 May 2020 Read f
